While the Vancouver music scene has always been characterized by a patchwork of varying sounds and styles, Hinterland has managed to stand out from the collective. In the five years the band has performed together, Hinterland has developed a following for their unique style of lush space-pop. Their sound is characterized by a densely layered musical attack of baroque proportions, composed of waves of effects-heavy guitar, deep synth, gentle woodwind instrumentation, all of which centres around vocalist Michaela Galloway’s soaring Beth-Gibbons-meets-Liz-Fraser vocal work. In 2003, Hinterland released their debut album Under The Waterline which received overwhelming critical success, and ultimately allowed the band to sit comfortably in the top 100 on campus radio charts across Canada.

Not content with standing still, 2005 sees Hinterland pushing forward as they add a new member to the band, begin active touring across Western Canada,– building on their past success with atmospheric rock, while embracing a more focused and energetic approach to their craft - and return to the studio to write, record and release their next album. Cord Mag went for tea (yes, tea) with John Lucas and Michaela Galloway from Hinterland to get the details.

(Cord Magazine's questions are in blue. Artist responses are in grey.)

This year you’re taking on a new sound, with new material, and a new direction… What’s changed? What’s next?

MG: We were really happy with the consistency of the first album. But this time we wanted to be louder and aggressive. When it comes down to it, we really wanted to rock, and that’s purposefully reflected in the songs we’ve written. When we recorded the first album, we had a certain idea in mind – an atmospheric album. We thought that it had really “rock” moments, but they really translated into something much more subtle.

JL: We also wanted to write shorter songs for the new album. We’ve taken our ideas and made them more punchy and direct, with extenuation of the rock moments, but still maintaining ambient moments.

When I compare Under The Waterline with some of the new material I’ve heard, I get a sense that the “wall of sound” which Hinterland has been know for is disappearing, to some extent. Do you think that this might alienate existing listeners?

MG: No, I don’t think so; the elements that people were initially attracted to are still there. Take for example the track “thisclose,” which we recorded for the second album. Although the song has a rock sound to it, in the later half the song changes into an atmospheric outro. We have another song on the album that’s not a rock song at all, but rather a pure ambient track. We still have the same approach, we have the same ideas as before, but we’re letting these louder elements shine through. The wall of sound is now stratified, instead of an all out assault.

JL: I think we’ve also tightened our focus in the way we’re writing songs. It’s easier to get at the ideas we were creating. The wall of sound thing still exists, to an extent. We’re still mixing some of the new stuff… and I’m getting over the hugely layered sound thing. Above and beyond the second album, we’ve recently done a bit of writing, and I’m really happy with the way things sound with just the five of us playing live in the room, as opposed to imagining how the song will sound when I add layers of keyboards and guitars in the studio.

How has your evolving sound been taken by your live audience?

MG: We’ve been playing some of the new material for almost a year at shows, and the reaction has been increasingly positive. It seems that people who have liked us before are gravitating towards the new stuff as well… and regardless, this [sound and style] is what we want to do. It would get boring to try and recreate the same thing, over and over. We’re a bit self-indulgent with our approach to music, but it works.

You played at Canadian Music Week in March. What are your thoughts and reflections on the gig?

JL: It was a weird experience playing in a city and festival that we’d never been to before. We got put on a strange bill, but the experience was better than we’d hoped. It was an interesting show in that it was both our last show with our outgoing guitarist and the first show with our incoming guitarist… who hopped on stage and performed with us as well.

MG: Hmmmm… Lessons learned… (laughs)… the art of packing lightly. John was only allowed to take one guitar. (Laughs again) We were kind of spoiled though – we flew out to CMW, stayed in a hotel, performed, and then flew home. We didn’t do the touring band cliché thing, where we all stuffed ourselves into a van, and drove across the Canada in minus-40 weather, only to sleep on someone’s floor once we arrived.

Have there been any losses or gains with the changes in band line up?

JL: [Departing guitarist] Kyle [Fogden] is still representing us in certain ways…. He played at the EXCLAIM! hockey tournament a few weeks ago, acting as a member of Hinterland. Outside of the band, Kyle is a lawyer, and so he’ll be involved managing legal elements for the band. He also played on the new album, and so he’s involved in providing feedback on the mixes, etc.

MG: A sure sign that [incoming guitarist] Greg [Williams] is a good fit with us, is the fact that the number of effects pedals he owns has multiplied since joining the band (laughs). I mean, he just bought one of those massive Line-6 delay pedals…this is gonna work! (Laughs)

You’re opening for The Album Leaf at The Media Club. As an independent how did you hook up with a member of the Sub Pop roster?

MG: We begged! (Laughs)

JL: When I found out The Album Leaf was coming to town, I decided that this was one gig we were gonna play. And through persistence and little bit of luck, it happened. (Grins)

Unlike many of your contemporaries, you’ve all managed to juggle careers in law, journalism, teaching, etc and …uhhh… your rock and roll commitments with the band – how does that work? Does it work? What are the compromises?

JL: The compromise is that you have NO spare time. (Laughs)

MG: The trick is to do a little bit of band-related stuff everyday. And I think you need to be selfish, and to not compromise. For example, the band practices certain nights a week, that time is blocked off, and the rest of my schedule has to fall around it. Oh, also my little PDA computer which beeps at me and tells me where I have to be also helps. (Laughs)

Hinterland performs at The Media Club on Saturday April 16th with The Album Leaf and The Precious Fathers. Tickets at Zulu Records.

Elsewhere

By Rob Anand
Photos : Tanya Volk
Published : April 2005.